Premier Gala celebrates 20 years of supporting Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center

Rick Pfeiffer -, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jan. 20—The Cataract City's premier gala event of the year will celebrate 20 years when more than 900 guests gather tonight at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino for Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center's annual black-tie "Premier Gala."

The milestone edition of the hospital's yearly fundraiser will "echo the spirit of the Roaring '20s" in honor of the theme "Gala of the Century." The theme commemorates NFMMC's 100 years of service to Niagara County.

Memorial President & CEO Joseph Ruffolo said it will be a "mix of nostalgia and aspiration, with a purpose that goes beyond mere celebration." The proceeds from the event will support Memorial's Women's Health Services, a program that aims to "improve healthcare, promote economic growth, and optimize medical spending in the Niagara region."

The Premier also traditionally honors individuals who have made a lasting impact and continue to make a difference in the community.

Headlining the honorees are Rev. James J. Maher, C.M, president of Niagara University; Zubair Shaikh, MD FACP, director of the hospitalist program at NFMMC; and Alicia Scott, DNP, NP-C, a member of NFMMC's hospitalist medical team since 2006.

Maher, the 26th president of NU was chosen to receive the Nancy Gara Spirit Award. The award honors the late Nancy Gara, a banking executive and former board member of NFMMC who was widely admired for her "enduring optimism and steadfast commitment to community service."

The awards notes that since taking on the leadership of NU in 2013, Maher has been "instrumental in spearheading various transformative initiatives for the betterment of Niagara Falls." In addition to his responsibilities as president of Niagara, he serves as a trustee at DePaul University and is an active member of its Academic Affairs Committee.

Shaikh is being honored as "an essential part of NFMMC's medical team." A graduate of B.J. Medical College at the University of Pune, India, he holds a master's in Exercise and Movement Science from the University of Oregon.

His post-graduate experience includes roles at Good Samaritan Hospital, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University. A former assistant professor at the Medical University of the Americas, in Nevis, St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies, he was a two-time winner of the Outstanding Professor Award.

Shaikh is board-certified in Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Scott will be cited for her "significant impacts" in areas at NFMMC including the Cath Lab and Stroke Center. Her award notes that in addition to her clinical contributions, she is "a dedicated community health educator who often addresses local health fairs and community gatherings about stroke awareness and prevention."

She earned her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Daemen College and has a certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

This year's Premier Gala is co-chaired by Brian and Karen Oakley of Lewiston.